Can filling machine



Feb. 23, 1954 w. 4.' DoBBlNs, 3RD

CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed March 13, 1950 FAU/D IN VEN TOR.

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Patented Feb. 23, 1954 CAN FILLING MACHINE Walter J. Dobbins 3rd, Little Falls, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 13, 1950, Serial No. 149,317

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for canning meat products and the like in which the product is forced into containers or cans by a presser, plunger or piston and has particular reference to devices for wetting the product contacting surface of the plunger with a film of steam, water, or other suitable fluid to protect this surface against the adherence of the product thereto. This is an improvement upon the Can Filling Machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,336,415, issued December 7, 1943, to R. E. J. Nordquist et al.

In the packing of meat products into cans it is important that the product ll the can solidly so that all air is excluded from the can to protect the product against spoilage. It is also important that the top of the product in the can be left smooth and even at a predetermined level below the top of the can to allow for proper vacuumizing and application of the cover to the c can. Any of the product that extends above this level, especially adjacent the edges i the can is liable to get caught in the seam which 'unites the cover to the can and thus cause a defective seam which may result in subsequent spoilage of the product.

In machines of the type that utilizes plungers to pack and press the meat product tightly into cans, the product frequently clings to the product contacting face of the plunger when the plunger is withdrawn from the can, after the packing operation, and thus the adhering product is lifted sui-liciently to disrupt the solid condition of the pack and sometimes sufficiently to cause adherence to the can flange causing improper closing of the can.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming these difficulties by the provision of devices for wetting or otherwise conditioning with water, steam, or other suitable fluids the contacting face of the plunger to protect it against adherence of the product thereto.

An object of the invention is the provision in such a product packing or lling machine of devices which operate to project a spray of `atornized steam, water, or other suitable conditioning uids against the product contacting faces oi the pressure plungers to wet or meisten and thereby protect these faces against adherence of the product thereto during the product pressing or packing operation.

Another object is the provision oi such devices which vmay be moved into and out of operating position for readily cleaning the spray head of the devices.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under- Figure 1 is a top plan sectional View of a can lling machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away and parts shown in dot and dash lines.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts oi the meat product packing machine disclosed in the above mentioned Nordquist lPatent 2,336,415. In such a machine the meat product is fed into a lling and measuring sleeve which upon being filled, is inserted into an empty can. A plunger located within the sleeve presses or compacts the product into a solid mass in the can as the sleeve is withdrawn from the can. After full withdrawal of the sleeve, the plunger is withdrawn, thus leaving the product in the can. it is upon this withdrawal of the plunger that the sticky product clings to the plunger and it is to the overcoming of this diinculty that the instant invention is directed, the remedy lying in the effective wetting or otherwise conditioning of the product contacting face of the plunger prior to the product pressing or compac'ting operation.

Empty cans A to be filled, moving in a substantially continuous procession in timed and spaced order, are fed into the machine by a continuously rotating star wheel ld and are received on vertically movable lifter pads as shown in the Nordquist patent. As the cans enter the vmachine they pass under a stationary table I2 formed with a conduit i3 through which the meat product, indicated rby the letter B, is fed into the machine under pressure. rihe conduit terminates in an opening I4 formed in the top of the table I2.

The table I2 supports a rotatable disc it which is mounted on a continuously rotating shaft Il as shown in the Nordquist patent. This disc slides across the table during its rotation and thus covers the meat product outlet I4. The disc carries a plurality of filling and measuring sleeves it, vertically and slideably disposed in bearings i9 formed in the disc it. Each sleeve encloses a measuring chamber 2i in the lower end of which is located a vertically movable pressure plunger or piston 22 as shown in the Nordquist patent. These sleeves it and plungers 22 are disposed above and in vertical alignment with the lifter pads and the cans carried thereon, and are moved with the disc member i t into register with the meat outlet it in the table i2 to receive a measured charge of the meat for insertion into a can on its lifter pad.

In accordance with the Nordquist patent a sleeve I8 and its plunger 22 as they approach the table i2 to receive a charge of the meat product, are in their lowered position, flush with the bottom of the'disc member it as best shown in Fig. 2. It .is while the sleeve .and :its lplunger are in .this vp'ositionithat the bottom'orfconta'cting face of the plunger is moistened to prevent adherence of the meat product to the plunger face as hereinbefore mentioned. This meistening or wetting of the plunger face is brouglit about preferably by spraying, for example, atomized Water against the lbottom of `the plunger. For this purpose a conventional atomizer nozzle 25 is located under the disc members I6 adjacent the edge of the table f2=as"shown in the drawings.

The nozzle 25 is carried on the inner end of a horizontal arm .26 which at its outer end is formed with a vertical hub 21having trunnions ""28'wliich are mounted inbearing'1ugs`29 formed on a bracket 3l secured .to a column '32 which constitutes .a y part .of 'the frame of 'the Nor'clquist machine. `With "this .manner of mounting 'the arm 26, the nozzle 25 maybe 'readily swung out .into the open, as shown in dotted vlines in Fig.

1, or cleaning or adjusting.

The .nozzle '25 is connected by a Water supply tube A3i! to a water channel 35 'formed in fthe upper ,portion of the 'hub 21. The tube .is carried on 'the arm 26. The upper end of the Water channel 3.5 communicates with a supply pipe "36 which leads 'from a reservoir 31 containing a supplyo water. The .reservoir is mounted on the side of thecolumn 32.

The nozzle .25 is also connected by an air tube 741 .to Van air channel '4"2 Vformed in thelower porticn of the Ihub "21. 'This .air tube is disposed adjacentthe Water'tube 34 yonjthe arm'26. 4The 'lower end of the air channel 42 Acommunicates with a supplypipe Whichleads from any suitable source of compressed air. The water and the air from their respective tubes 34, .4l .are mixedin the nozzle 25 and are discharged there- V'from in a'fine spray which is .continuously projected against the .bottom of therotating disc .member It as bestshown'in Fig..2.

"Hence as vthe rotating .disc member 11.6 -carries a' measuring sleeve 'f8 .andfits plungerf22into position over 'the nozzle Y'25 the .bottom .'face Yof .the ,plunger receives a .nlm `or .coating .of .the .water .spray andis thereby wetted or .mistenedor vthe Apacking operation.

sAsfully .explainedin the Nordquistgpatent .the .advancing sleeve ISandlplunger .22 `move :into a .position .over the meat .outlet .-I4 and -as )they pass this outlet the plunger 22 moves iup into .the .sleeveand permits the .meat :product under ,pressure .to .rise up into the Vmeasuring `chamber 21..inthe sleeve. .Whenameasured-charge'of the -product .has been .received in the .chamber the ,plungen ceases Vits upward travel `and the Arotating .disc member .cuts .off `communication with 4.the .meat outlet by advancing the sleeve I8 out .of reg- .ister with theoutlet.

.As the Idisc -iB continues to rotate, -it .carries the ,filled sleeve .i8 beyond the table 1.2. .The Ylifter-pad. then .raises -the can into position .under .the `sleeve and while in this `position'the :sleeve and '.the plunger move down `in `unison into `the can. Theplungercontinues tomove down slowhr .inzthe can and :thus compresses the meat .into a -solid mass `While the sleeve iszwithdrawn. When fthe sleeve isfully withdrawn, the plunger islifted away from the product in the canzand the vfilled .;can.is :discharged :from .'thezmachine. :This com- .apletes fthecycle .of operation of fthe .machine :as disclosed .the Nordqust patent.

:However :it is vat -the ipoint in :the fcan iiilling :operation where theiplunger islifted away `Afrom .the-,product .inthe can.tha.t.the.water.coated face thelgplunger manifests itself. Hhe Water coating on the face of the plunger 22 protects the .face against the adherence of the product thereto. Thus the plunger face rises freely from the tproduotand leaves the top surface of the product .smoothand even. .There is thus nothing clinging tolthe 'faceofktheplunger to effect an unsanitary conditicnlinxthemachine and likewise the product in the can is properly placed so that a cover @may fb'e Lreadily -:applied thereto in the usual manner.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be .understoodrom ithe'foregoing description, andiityvillb'e apparent -`thai; `various vchanges *may lbe made fin the form, construction and arrangement "of the rp'arts with- Aout departing .from the spirit and "scope of ithe (invention or .sacri'cing all .ofzlits material 'advan- Atages, the 'form .hereinb'efore described 'being `.merely a xpreferred 'embodiment thereof.

I claim:

`1. 'In a machine -for l,packing .meat or other stickyproducts into .containers, the combination comprising a conveyor member, a packingplun'ger having .a lproduct contacting face, said Yplunger 'being mounted for reciprocation in said conveyor and movablelby said` conveyor in.a,predeterniined path, .an oscillatable atomizer memberhaving :a .hub adjacent one .end .andan atomized nozzle .adjacent '.the opposite .end thereof, iixed spaced bearinglugs mounted adjacent 'the rpath of said conveyor, sai'd ihub'having trunnions at .opposite ends .thereof v.journaled .Lin said 'bearing lugs, Ya V'liquid supply channel insaid .atomizer .member ileadingfrom oneof saidtrunnionslto-said nozzle, .an air .channel .insaid .memberleading `from the `other of said .trunnions'lto said nozzle, .and conduits leading from said trunnions to sources of .liquidiand .compressed air, respectively, to supply .liquid `and air lto saidnOZZle .for .atomizing .and :projecting said liquid linto .the .path A.and .against .said .'face .of `the .plunger .when vthe nozzle Yis in .operative position, .said .atomizer member being @oscillatable en saidlugs 'to inoperative `accessible Apos;itionrlor-..clea.ning..and.adjusting said nozzle.

.12. .In .a .niachine .f or rpacking .meat or .other .sticky products Sinto .container-s, .the combination comprising a conveyor member, a packingplungei' having .a A,product rcontacting face, .said plunger .being mounted for `reciprocation in said conrveyzor and .movable .by said .conveyor .in a ,pre- .determined path, a fixedlbearing vadjacent .the ,path .of `said Aplunger, .an 4arm pivotally mounted at one end on said bearing, La .fluid projecting .nozzle .mounted .on the .free .end of .said arm and normally directed in an operative position toward .the I.path o'f vsaid .product contacting vface .of the .plungerfor-.projectng aflm of fluid onto .said plunger .fac'e to prevent adherence of the product-.thereto during a subsequent packing o p- .eration of .the '.plungensaid arm and nozzle 'be- -ing .oscillatable on said bearing away from said path o'f the plunger to vaninoperative and aocessibleiposition for cleaning .andadjusting said nozzle.

yWLTEIR. LDOBBINS 3RD.

-Number Name .Date

.2132424 .Le.fFrank Oct. 1-1, v1933 2,336,415 Nordquist et al Dec. 7, 1943 2,433,061 Pearsontal. Dec. 23. .#1947 

